The daily job nobody thought to change
I was updating a client’s Google Ads pacing tracker by hand. Each morning, I opened Google Ads, checked yesterday’s campaign spend and copied the figures into a Google Sheet. Then I updated the month-to-date numbers and checked whether spending was tracking over or under budget.
The work took about ten minutes a day. That felt too small to treat as a project, which is exactly why it stayed on the list. Ten minutes every weekday is fifty minutes a week. Across fifty working weeks, that is more than forty hours.
What we automated
The spreadsheet tracked six campaigns. It already contained the pacing calculations, so there was no need to replace the tool or redesign the reporting process. The repetitive data entry was the part that needed attention.
I built a Google Ads script to collect yesterday’s spend, update the Spend Report tab, refresh the month-to-date figures and record when the script last ran. The spreadsheet continued to handle the calculations. The script supplied the numbers.
What made this a useful automation
The business already knew which information it needed and where that information belonged. The job followed the same pattern each day, and the source data was available in a system that could be connected to the spreadsheet.
That made the task a good candidate for automation: a clear trigger, a repeatable action and a result that could be checked. There was no need to add AI or introduce a new platform just to move a few numbers.
Start with one repeatable task
Look for work that involves opening one system, copying information and entering it somewhere else. Ask how often it happens, how long it takes and what would happen if the numbers were wrong or the process stopped.
An automated report still needs checks. Campaign changes, access permissions and reporting requirements can change. A timestamp and a sensible review process help you notice when something needs attention. The goal is less routine work, with enough oversight to keep the result useful.
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